Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Just when you though that young talent was hard to find, you stumble upon two Brooklyn females, Charisse J. & Gabrielle, with a great hand craft and strong will. This duo is the founders of Koki’o Brooklyn (a spin off of Tokyo, Japan) and is currently making hand crafted accessories.

Once I saw the merchandise I knew it had to be shared. Via phone I asked if they would like to sell online, this idea baffled them. They were used to selling local where they can meet and great their customers. They’d first rather keep sales personal, just like the one of a kind items made. But now you can see some of the sets HERE.

Interview:

Who are you and what are you looking to do in today’s creative industry?Our name brand is Koki'o Brooklyn, pronounced similar to Tokyo but with a K. Koki'o is a Hawaiian Flower amongst the top ten rarest flowers in the world. Our goal is simple; we really want to promote rarity and creativity from Brooklyn to Brooklyn - and beyond! By using quality, no-rust materials such as imported beads, sterling silver and gold at affordable, no higher than 25$ merchandise.

What projects are you, specifically, working on? Jewelry. Right now it is our first line of business but as our clientele expands so will our inventory.

Why are you interested in the beauty industry? As females, naturally we were respondent to anything beauty related - from nail polish to phone cases and everything in between.

Tell me some brief information about your company: Naturally we are creative individuals but we, actually, got our start when my Co-Partners Mom decided to dabble in accessory making. If it wasn't for her we might not be here today, because it was her materials we used in the beginning. Another cool fun fact is that all of our accessories are one of a kind. We literally free hand them and don't reproduce the exact same pattern twice. You will definitely see the same color schemes but everything you buy from us will be something that is your own.

What was life like for you and what you are looking to achieve?As two female Brooklyn natives, sometimes variety was scarce and limited to Rainbows, Pretty Girls, and Beauty Supply Store accessories. But, the thing is no matter how hard you try the chains end up breaking, the rings end up rusting and the earrings are always itchy. Not only are we tired of the low quality material but we also want to shake up the idea of accessorizing by bringing in unique designs to help polish the look of your outfits - from everyday to going out.

What can people look out for from you in the future? Everything - literally! We really don't to limit where this business may go. As long as it's of good quality we're ready and willing to sponsor as much unique merchandise as we can. In the near future one thing you can definitely look out for is iPhone and iPod cases, male & youth accessories.

Why do you think you have what it takes to leave your mark in this industry?Quoting back to the Philosopher Ayn Rand 'The question isn't who is going to let me ; it's who is going to stop me!' Sometimes being born in Brooklyn can birth an aggressive, cannot take no for an answer, 'hustler' spirit to some and we are definitely part of that crew. We are so confident it may be misinterpreted as cocky but it's NOT! Our thing is the opposite - we feel we are the average beauty-crazed females. Every female in the world wants to look nice from head to toe. Every female wants custom one of a kind accessories to polish off there outfits. And, every female wants to catch a deal. We've combined these basic wants and we make things we would love to buy so we know the next female would want to as well.